Type-writing machine.



Patented lune 27, |899.

W. J. BARRUN. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

(Application led May 11, 189B.)

(N0 Model.)

IIIIIII lllnw l UNITED STATES` vPATENT OFFICE.

WALTER J. BARRON, OF NEW YORK,`N. Y., SSIGNOR TO THE DENSMORETYPEWRITER'COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.-

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LetterslPatent No. 627,678, dated J une27, 1899.

Application filed May ll, 1898. Serial N0. 630,327. (No model.) g

To all whom, it may concern: i

Be it known that I, WALTER J. BAREON, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and city andState of New York, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements inType- Writing Machines, of which'the following is a specication.

My invention has for its main object to provide means whereby thecylindrical platen of a type-Writing machine may be turned independentlyof its line-spacing mechanismv in either direction through any desireddistance or any length of arc for the purpose of facili` tating thewriting on ruled paper and printed sheets having blank spaces to befilled'in with the type-writer; and it is a further object of myinvention to provide simple and effective means for disengaging theplaten ratchetwheel detent and simultaneously'applying a friction orpressure upon the platen to prevent the same from rotating too freelyand to hold it firmly at any position to which it may be adjusted orturned, so that the writing may be done with the detent out ofengagement Without liability of the platen turning accidentally. Y

To these main ends myinvention consists primarily in combining with thedetent Which normally engages the platen ratchet-wheel a means fordisengaging the said detent from the said wheel and for applying afriction or pressure upon the platen; and my invention consists,further, in certain other features of construction and combinations ofdevices, all of which will be hereinafter more fully described, andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of theright-hand end of the platen-carriage of a Densmore type-writingmachine. Fig. 2 is a partial plan view of the same. the line a: .fr ofFig. 1.

brake or shoe applied to the platen. is a view similar to Fig. 1, butvshowing my invention carried out in still another form.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken at Fig. 4 is a side elevation, partlyin section, showing the detent lifted from the ratchet-wheel and thefriction Fig. 5jv

Fig. 6 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 4, but showing the device illustrated inFig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken at the line y y of Fig.6. i ln the several views the same part will be found designated by thesame numeral of reference.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, the numeral ldesignates the usual cylindrical platen, which is provided at itsrighthand end with a metallic head or circular plate 2, having anintegrally-formed ratchet- Wheel 3, and secured to the platen by screws4. 5 designates the platen shaft or axle, which is provided with a knobor hand-wheel 6. The platen is adapted to be rotated step by stepdistances equal to the tooth-spaces of the ratchet-wheel by means of aline-spacing paw-1 7 pivoted as usual upon theline-spacing lever 8, andfor thepurpose of holding said platen fromrotatin'g too freely as wellas for holding it rmly when lthe line-spacing pawl is out of actionandthe writing is being done a detent' or holdfast 9is employed. In thepreferred form this detent consists of a small wheel or roller, asshown,` although a beveled dog or tooth, such as commonly usedheretofore, may be employed instead of this preferred form of detent.The detent-roll is pivotally mounted at 10 upon a curved arm 11, whichis pivoted at 12 in an upward extension 13 on the right-hand side or endbar 14 of the platen. frame or carriage, and the lower free end of thearm orlever 11 is formed or provided with a lateral pin 15, upon whichrests the free end of a leaf or bar springl, whose opposite end isattached to a pin 17, projecting downwardly from the platen-carrier.-The said spring 16 preferably bears between its ends upon a lug orprojection 18, extending downwardly from the end bar 14. The downwardtension or pressure of the free end of said spring upon the pin`15 ofthe arm 11 'operatesto hold the detent normally down upon` the teeth ofthe ratchet-wheel andthe with said ratchet-wheel a lever 19 is mountedupon the pivot 10 of the detent-wheel and with its lower end over or inline with the smooth periphery of the head or plate 2, with which thelowermost curved or cam-like end or portion 20 of said lever cooperates.The upper handle portion of the lever is preferably provided with alaterally-extended finger-piece 21, which normally rests against theupper edge of the spring-pressed arm or lever 11.

Then it may be desired to raise the det-ent or throw it out of operativeengagement with the ratchet-wheel, the finger-piece 21 of the lever 19is pulled forward, thereby causing lthe lower or cam-like end of thelever to move rearwardly and ride upon the surface of the head or plate2. Owing to the inclined position of the lever and the fact that thedistance from the end 20 to the pivot of the lever is greater than thedistance from the surface of the head 2 to the said pivot measured onthe vertical line a: 00, it follows that when the portion 2O of thelever is moved rearwardly it acts to cam, wedge, or force up the pivot10, roll 9, and arm 11, carrying the same against the tension of thespring 16, which is flexed about the projection 1S, and thereby has putinto it a greater amount of tension. Vhen the upper end of the lever hasbeen pulled forward to the position shown at Fig. 4, the detent has beenlifted clear of the teeth of the ratchet-wheel and the lower curved end22 of the lever has come to a bearing upon the surface of the head 2, asshown in said figure, and the increased tension put into the spring 16by the action of the said lever operates to hold the said lever downfirmly on the platen, (of which the head 2 is a part,) so as to lock thelever in its new position and to put enough friction or pressure uponthe platen to prevent it from rotating accidentally when the writing isdone. Vith the parts in the position shown at Fig. 4 the platen may berotated in either direction, either by direct application of the hand tothe platen itself or by force applied to the hand-wheel 6, and thus anyruled line or blank space upon the sheet may be quickly brought to theprinting-point and the writing be proceeded with. IVhen the line hasbeen finished or when the blank space has been filled in, the platen maybe turned to the nextruled line orblank space and the writing againresumed. When itis no longer necessary to turn the platen irregulardistances, as for ruled lines, which are at distances apart unequal tothe distance of the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, the lever may be turnedback to its first position, (shown at Fig. 1,) during which the detentis automatically restored to its normal position in engagement with theratchet-wheel, and the friction shoe or brake 22, afforded by the lowerend of the lever, is thrown out of operative relation to the platen.Thereafter when the platen is turned either by the line-spacing pawl orby the hand-wheel 6 it will move through regular distances determined bythe distances apart of the teeth or the notches or spaces between theteeth.

Referring now to Figs. 5, 6, and 7, the brake-shoe or friction-producingdevice 22, instead of being formed integral with the lower end of thelever, is made of a Separate piece and pivoted thereto at 23. In otherrespects the construction is practically the same as that shown in theiirst four views and the parts operate in substantially the same manner.Vheu the upper end of the lever is pulled forward, the shoe 22 slidesbackwardly over the surface of the head 2, and owing to its shape andthe position of its pivot 23 said shoe acts to force upwardly the detentand its spring-pressed carrying-arm 11 until the parts are brought tothe position shown at Fig. 6, where the detentis shown as out ofengagement with the ratchet-wheel and the shoe as bearing iirmly downupon the platen under the increased tension of the spring 1G.

It will thus be seen that by my invention I have provided a contrivancewhich when in operative position increases the friction on the platen byincreasing the tension of the spring which holds the detent normally inengagement with the platen ratchet-wheel and also a device which byasimple rotative movement serves to effect a releasement of the platenfrom its detent and to simultaneously apply to the platen a friction orpressure device to properly hold the platen for all practical purposeswhile the detent is out of operative engagement therewith and in suchmanner that the platen may be turned irregular distances, either minuteor large, according to the exigencies of the work in hand.

Various changes in detail construction and arrangement of parts may bemade without departing from the spirit of my invention.

That I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a type-Writing machine, the combination with a platen and itsratchet-wheel, of a detent, and a friction or brake shoe operativelyconnected thereto and which when brought into use effects by itsmovement a disengagement of said detent.

2. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a platen and itsratchet-wheel, of a detent, and a lever'attached to said detent andadapted when vibrated to remove said detent and having a friction orbrake shoe to coact4 with the platen when the detent is removed.

3. In a type-writing machine, the combination with a platen aplaten-head having a plain circular portion and also a ratchet-wheel, ofa detent, a spring for holding said detent normally in engagement withsaid ratchet-wheel, and a lever attached to said detent for removingsaid detent and increasing the tension of said spring and carrying apart which presses upon the plain circular portion of the platen- IOOIIO

head under the tension of said spring when the said detent has beenremoved from the ratchet-Wheel.

4. In a type-Writing machine, the combination with a platen and itsratchet-wheel, of a pivoted spring-pressed arm carrying a detent, and alever pivoted to said arm, the lever being arranged to disengage thedetent and to simultaneously apply increased friction to the platen.

5. In a type-writing machine, the combination With a platen and itsratchet-Wheel, of a spring-pressed arm, a roller-detent, and a leverpivoted on said arm and operating in sub'- stantially the mannerdescribed.

6. In a type-Writing machine, the combination of a platen, aratchet-wheel, a platenhead, a spring-pressed arm, a detent mounted uponsaid arm to engage said ratchet-Wheel, and a lever mounted on said armand adapted to disengage said detent and having a shoe or curved portionadapted to act on said head.

7. In a type-Writing machine, the combination of a platen, aratchet-Wheel, a platenhead, a spring-pressed arm, a detent mounted onsaid arm, a lever also mounted on said arm, 'and a shoe pivoted to saidlever. 8. In a type-Writing machine, the combinaa tion of a platen, aratchet-Wheel, a platenhead, a spring-pressed arm, a roller-detentpivotally mounted on said arm, a lever mounted on the pivot of saidroller-detent, and a shoe pivoted to said lever.

Signed at the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State ofNew York, this 9th day of May, A. D. 1898.

. WALTER J. BARRON. Witnesses:

K. V. DONOVAN, ETHEL WELLS.

